Who we are

Anastasia is Communications & Engagement Coordinator. She has lived and worked across North America, Europe, and the Middle East. As a creative and innovative communicator, she has demonstrated expertise in areas related to social and climate justice, educational equity, and broader development issues. Previously, Anastasia was Communications Specialist for UNDP. Anastasia holds a MSc in Marketing Strategy & Innovation from Cass Business School and a B.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). Anastasia’s hobbies include artistic disciplines and outdoor activities. She currently lives between Italy and Senegal.

Annia is a Program Manager and focuses on Nature-Finance Alignment. She brings 6 years of transdisciplinary work experience in areas related to sustainable finance, conservation and climate and natural disaster risk. Annia has worked in both Latin America and Switzerland. She developed solutions to strengthen the financial resilience of vulnerable groups as well as developed and implemented nature-positive business models for community development and ecosystem regeneration for Sinal do Vale in Brazil. Annia holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of St. Gallen and is completing her M.Sc in Development and Sustainability at the Graduate Institute of Geneva.

Arend leads work on innovative finance. He has 15 years of experience in sovereign debt, credit trading, risk management, economic research, credit ratings, and debt advisory. Arend was part of the sovereign advisory team at Citigroup, where he helped governments manage a wide range of debt management challenges. He also designed innovative tools for governments while working at BFA Global as a policy specialist and product manager. Arend was a Director of Sovereign Ratings at Fitch Ratings and an investment banker at Standard Bank. He holds a B.A. from McGill University and a MSC from the London School of Economics.

Athulya is a Researcher and Project Manager. She has over 5 years of interdisciplinary experience working with the Stockholm Environmental Institute, TTI, Capitoline Consulting and The International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics. She brings deep sectoral knowledge of ESG and sustainability reporting, clean energy development, energy transition advocacy and nature credit markets. Athulya currently co-hosts the sustainability podcast “Planet Prism.” Athulya holds a MSc degree in Environmental Science, Management, and Policy with an emphasis in Sustainable Management of Socio-Ecological Systems, Sustainable Business Strategies, and Environmental Justice.

Barbara is the lead for the Sustainable Sovereign Debt Hub. Previously, Barbara launched and served as Director of the Sovereign Decarbonisation Program and Labelled Bonds Campaign at the Emerging Markets Investors Alliance. Barbara brings 20+ years of experience in financial markets, having held roles at Salomon Brothers, Citibank, Unicredit, and Natwest Markets, mainly focusing on fixed-income structured products and emerging markets. She was co-founder and CEO of an FCA-regulated advisory firm. Barbara holds a CFA Certificate in ESG Investing and a BSc and MSc in Economics and Social Sciences from Bocconi University in Milan.

Bernice Lee is a Distinguished Fellow and Senior Advisor at Chatham House, where she chairs the Advisory Board of the Sustainability Accelerator. An expert on geopolitics, climate action and trade, she also chairs Bellwethers Group, a non-profit activating influential networks on climate and nature. Bernice serves on the boards of Energy Foundation China and Chapter Zero Alliance and advises corporate sustainability initiatives. Previously, she held leadership roles at the World Economic Forum and Chatham House. She has also worked at the UN, the Rockefeller Foundation and advised the UK Climate Change Committee. Bernice holds degrees from Oxford and LSE and was awarded an OBE in 2011 for contributions to climate cooperation.

Daniel is the Operations Associate for Nature Finance. He works with the coordination team to support all our working teams, managing the day-to-day activities of the organization and improving efficiency in the organization.  He comes with several years of experience in operations and admin, having spent the last 10 years running operations in various sectors, including tech, marketing, and media. He holds a degree in Business Management.

Daniel has more than 10 years of experience in finance and data analytics. He worked at Fitch Ratings, evaluating the creditworthiness of sovereigns in Latin America and the Caribbean. He collaborated with several governments to understand their funding strategies and challenges. He modelled the effect of hurricanes on the fiscal accounts of several countries in the Caribbean Basin and rated some of the first catastrophe bonds in the region. Daniel taught the Data Analytics Boot Camp at Columbia University. He holds a B.A. from Middlebury College and an M.A. from New York University.

Eva is the Senior Administrator Lead responsible for team coordination and logistics, diary management and events/travel planning. Her experience in supporting organisations spans various sectors including finance, sustainability, health and design. Eva holds an MSc in Psychology.

Fiona is a Senior Advisor based in Nairobi. She channels her interest in promoting accountable governance and protecting the natural world, through her consultancy work and in a personal capacity. Fiona’s previous roles include Africa Nature Lead for the Climate Champions Team,  International Advocacy Director with the Open Society Foundations;  Associate Campaigns Director on Environmental Governance at Global Witness and Regional Adviser for Save the Children in southern Africa.  She co-founded the Ethical Trading Initiative and the Publish What You Pay campaign.  Fiona is a trustee of the UK based Environmental Funders Network and the Lamu Environment Foundation in Kenya.

Gideon is the IT & Security Coordinator at NatureFinance. He brings over 8 years of experience in ICT systems management, cybersecurity, and digital transformation across sectors. Previously, he served as an ICT Specialist at the International Committee of the Red Cross, where he managed global ICT systems and led critical IT security projects. He also worked as an ICT Officer at Plan International, contributing to technology-driven humanitarian initiatives. Gideon holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Science and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Information Systems Security at Strathmore University. He is passionate about leveraging technology for impactful solutions, with a focus on secure, resilient IT infrastructures. 

Gregor is senior associate at NatureFinance and focuses on the organisation’s sovereign debt portfolio. He brings more than 15 years of experience in the asset management industry. He holds a MSc degree in Risk & Asset Management from EDHEC Business School and an MBA degree with the specialization in sustainable businesses from the University of Bologna.

Gustavo is a Senior Associate for Global Brazil in Nature Finance. He has 10+ years of experience in finance, with a strong track record in investment analysis and project development across startups, investment banks, and large corporations. Previously, he worked as a Strategic Finance Manager at re.green, a Brazilian reforestation project developer. Gustavo holds a BA in Economics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (Puc-Rio).

Henrique has two decades of experience in development finance, designing financial solutions that deliver both impact and returns. He has worked across 70+ countries, leading business development, transaction structuring, and portfolio management in financial inclusion, sustainable infrastructure, regenerative agriculture, renewable energy, and education. As Head of the Swiss Global Hub for Nature Finance, he focuses on scaling financial innovations for a nature-positive economy. A practitioner of innovation over bureaucracy, he also mentors and invests in nature tech startups. Henrique thrives on solving complex challenges through unconventional thinking and broad stakeholder collaboration.

Indekhwa is passionate about leveraging finance and trade for positive environmental and social impact. With 15+ years’ experience in finance and conservation, Indekhwa supports impact delivery and fundraising initiatives at NatureFinance. Previously as Senior Policy & Partnerships Officer for Africa at African Wildlife Foundation, she collaborated with diverse stakeholders to promote Africa’s environmental and socio-economic goals. Her career spans the humanitarian, development, and private sectors, having served at Norwegian Refugee Council, Save the Children International, MERLIN International, and PKF International. Indekhwa holds an MBA in International Business Management, a BBA in Accounting, and an Advanced Diploma in Accounting and Business Management (ACCA).

Isobel works as the Director, Strategic Partnerships and Impact with NatureFinance. Prior to joining NatureFinance, Isobel led on fundraising for Cambridge Zero, the University of Cambridge’s flagship climate initiative, with a focus on transformational philanthropy for solutions to the climate and nature emergencies across all schools and faculties of the university. Previously, she had held the fundraising portfolio for Technology, Engineering and Business, and also for Cambridge Conservation Initiative, a collaboration between the university and ten international biodiversity organisations. Isobel trained as a contemporary dancer and graduated from Cambridge as a mature student with a degree in English Literature.

Jeremy Eppel is a Senior Advisor who brings decades of experience advising Ministers and convening international partners around critical sustainability issues. Previous roles include Deputy Director International in the UK Government for DEFRA, and as senior advisor to the World Bank’s Global Wildlife Program, the Prince of Wales’s International Sustainability Unit, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, and the UN Environment Programme. Jeremy spent eight years as Environment Counsellor in the Organisation for Economic Development and Co-operation (OECD), Paris, and in 2016 co-founded Eppel Sustainability. Currently, he is a member of the CBD’s Advisory Committee on Resource Mobilisation, a Director of the Nature and People Foundation, a Trustee of IUCN UK, and a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Jo Benn specialises in communicating and campaigning on international environmental issues. Having lived and worked in seven countries including the UK, Switzerland, Italy, Kenya, the USA, Belgium and Chile, she considers herself a ‘global citizen’. She has worked in leadership roles for various non-governmental organizations, for the United Nations as well as for international news networks, foundations and print outlets. She began her career at Associated Press TV News in London and was part of the first cohort of Project Inside Out an initiative entitled ‘Becoming a Guide for Change.’ She is passionate about the power of ideas and words.

Joanna O’Malley works as the Partnerships Manager. Joanna has held several key positions, including Events, Communications and Engagement Project Manager and Initiative Project Manager at NatureFinance, where she played integral roles in the organisation’s communication and stakeholder management efforts. She holds a diverse range of experiences, from education programs to social media and communications roles, all within the environmental and sustainability sectors. Joanna holds a master’s degree in ‘Climate Change: Policy, Media and Society’ and a bachelor’s degree in Zoology, paying particular attention to biodiversity and conservation.

Julie is NatureFinance’s CEO.  She was founding co-director of the Open Society Foundations’ (OSF) Economic Justice Program, a $100 million per annum global grantmaking and impact investment program focused on issues of fiscal justice, workers’ rights, and corporate power.  Previous roles include serving as the founding director of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), and as a Franklin Fellow and peacebuilding adviser at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, focused on Liberia. Prior to this, McCarthy co-founded the Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI), serving as its deputy director until 2009. She is a Brookings non-resident fellow in the Center for Sustainable Development, and an Aspen Civil Society Fellow. Julie lives with her three children in Warwick, NY.

Justin is a Senior Advisor to NatureFinance and the Chairman of the Sustainable Sovereign Debt Hub. He served as Director of HRH The Prince of Wales’s International Sustainability Unit and is Chairman of SLM Partners, Managing Director for Strategy at the Howden Group, and an Advisor to Finance in Motion and the Landbanking Group. He is also a Trustee of WWF-UK and of Global Canopy. He has previously worked for HMG, the European Commission and the World Bank and he is the Special Envoy of the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Secretariat.

Katherine Keddie is Co-Founder and Director of Adopter, the marketing company for green technology adoption and Knowledge Partner to the Taskforce on Nature Markets. She holds a degree in Politics from Durham University. Adopter specialises in growing the online presence of companies that have invented new green technologies and organisations that are shaping new climate & nature positive markets. Katherine has led digital communication and marketing projects for ‘world first’ climate change and nature loss solutions for sectors including finance, construction and agriculture.

Kayla is the Special Assistant to the CEO. She brings 11 years of experience as an Executive Assistant to C-Suite management and 3 years of experience in Project Coordination across several industries, including event management. Kayla is a dynamic professional who enjoys managing complex situations and problem-solving in order to ensure timely delivery of products and budgets. Kayla currently lives in Youngstown, Co. Kildare, Ireland where she recently relocated from Johannesburg, South Africa with her husband and two kids.

Konstantina Koulouri is a Project Manager at NatureFinance, and brings expertise at the intersection of finance, ecology, and technology. Konstantina is also a co-founder of TreesAI, which is backed by organisations including Google.org and the Morgan Stanley Sustainable Solutions Collaborative and has been voted one of 50 Rising Stars in ESG under 35 by the Women of the Future Programme.

Lígia A Luporini Tostes is a bilingual Executive Assistant with a strong background in Law and Executive Secretarial Studies. For the past 14 years, she has supported C-Level Executives across a variety of sectors, from private companies to government organizations. Her international experience, both academically and professionally, has given her a global perspective.

Lilian Mbeva is a finance professional with ten years of experience spanning across various sectors including non-profit, private sector and financial institutions. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Business School and a Certified Public Accountant.

In addition to her professional achievements, Lilian played a pivotal role in establishing a boutique think tank research organization dedicated to providing innovative insights aimed at advancing global governance, with a particular focus on sustainability.

Louis is a Senior Advisor at NatureFinance. He is an expert in the management of government debt and sovereign wealth, ESG, impact and green finance, sustainable economics, and inclusive capitalism. He currently serves as Chair of the Board of rePLANET and vice-Chair of the Biodiversity Credit Company, two firms he helped found in 2020 to drive large-scale ecological restoration and preservation. His public sector roles have included Member of the Executive Committee of the Bank for International Settlements; Executive Director of the Belgian Government Debt Agency and Director of Funding at the EBRD. In the private sector, he has held senior positions at State Street, Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse. Louis holds a Master of Law, a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Louvain and an MBA from Cornell University.

Luana is the lead for Global Brazil work, where she advances the Global Brazil portfolio. She has 15+ years of experience integrating themes of sustainability, governance, and human rights in managing high-impact projects. Previously, Luana was the Director of Strategic Planning at the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development, helping companies move forward working on food systems and biodiversity. Luana was the first executive secretariat of the Brazilian Coalition on Climate Forests and Agriculture, one of the largest multi-stakeholder forums in Brazil to promote and implement a low-carbon economy focused on land use. She holds a B.A. in international relations and a M.Sc in Sustainability.

Marcelo is a Principal.  He was executive director of Greenpeace in Brazil, where he worked for 24 years, before becoming CEO of Arapyau Institute and Alana Foundation. Marcelo currently is the Head of Sustainability at the Itaúsa Institute. He is also a board member at the World Resources Institute in Brazil, Conectas Human Rights and the Sovereignty and Climate Center as well as of the Sustainable and Healthy Food Network at Columbia University’s Climate School. He co-founded the Brazilian Coalition on Climate, Forest and Agriculture and is a member of the Sustainability Committee of Dexco and Marfrig.

Mario serves as Senior Policy Analyst at the Sustainable Sovereign Debt Hub. In his previous role as Economic Affairs Officer at the United Nations, he successfully transformed complex global financing initiatives into practical operational guidance for country-level implementation. Combining expertise in international finance and macroeconomics, Mario specializes in identifying financing mechanisms that enable critical transformations in emerging markets. His approach integrates rigorous applied research with strategic policy advice and comprehensive stakeholder engagement. Mario holds a PhD in Economics and Management from the Free University of Bozen and a Diplom-Volkswirt in Economics from Freiburg University.

Mark is a Senior Advisor. He holds a BA from Tufts University and  Postgraduate Diploma in Historical Studies from Cambridge University.  After working with the Diplomatic Secretariat of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, he worked within the United Nations Environment Programme’s Policy Planning Division and then built WWF-International’s Conservation Division’s China programmes. He was also conservation advisor to HRH The Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. Mark spent fourteen years at IUCN and before becoming Director of Policy and Partnerships. He left IUCN to establish the International Institute for Sustainable Development (Europe) which he directed until 2016. Mark currently chairs the Board of Trustees of TRAFFIC International and of the Global Rewilding Alliance.  He sits on the Boards of Sustainable Finance Geneva and of the Building Bridges Foundation.

Martina is the Program Manager for the Sustainable Sovereign Debt Hub and Innovative Finance Lab. She holds a degree in Political Science from Stockholm University. With previous roles as a Project Manager and Administrative Assistant, Martina worked for five years with the Stockholm School of Economics before freelancing. Her expertise in project management, administrative support, and program coordination reflects an agile and innovative approach, ensuring efficient operations and successful outcomes.

Matt is a Co-Founder and Director of Adopter, the marketing company for green technology adoption and Knowledge Partner to the Taskforce on Nature Markets. Adopter specialises in growing the online presence of organisations in the green technology and innovation space. Matt has led digital communication, website and marketing projects for ‘world first’ climate change solutions, green tech accelerators, and NGOs in sectors ranging from sustainability-linked sovereign debt and green finance to nature markets, biotechnology, and construction.

Melina Inglese is NatureFinance’s Finance & Operations Director. She has 15+ years of experience working as a financial expert within multinational corporations, startups, SMEs and NGOs across Latin America and Europe. She previously served for five years as Finance & Operations Director for the Southern Andes region at The Nature Conservancy. Since 2019, Melina has been providing external Chief Financial Officer advice and strategic financial leadership for clients committed to social and environmental impact. Melina holds a M.B.A. from UCEMA University of Buenos Aires.She is a native Spanish speaker with a good understanding of Portuguese.

Monique is a writer and researcher who specialises in conflict resolution, consensus-building, multi-stakeholder relations and policy. She led and coordinated the African Leadership Initiative’s Project Pakati, which advocated for the continent’s leaders to address the governance gap with greater urgency. Prior to this, Monique worked as a Policy Analyst at the Centre for Development and Enterprise, South Africa’s leading developmental think tank. Monique is completing her Masters in Organisational and Institutional Studies (Wits), has a BA Honours (with distinction) in Justice and Transformation (UCT) and a BA Undergraduate in Economic History, Political Science and English Literary Studies (UCT).

Natan Aquino is NatureFinance’s Brand & Design Advisor. He has been in the field of communications and design for the past 18 years, having worked with companies like Accenture and Pearson Education. Lately, he has specialized in Institutional and Environmental Design and has partnered with initiatives like Greenpeace, the World Food Programme, the United Nations, and the Pulitzer Center. Natan is also the founder of the Afreaka Project.

Rupesh is a Senior Advisor. Rupesh co-founded Global Sustainable Capital Management, a London-based impact investment asset manager. Previously, Rupesh spent nearly a decade at Lehman Brothers and Barclays in equity research in sustainability and the clean technology sector. Rupesh co-founded Bankers without Boundaries, to utilise former investment bankers for the benefit of the environment and social good. Rupesh has been an expert reviewer working with the World Economic Forum, the OECD, Prince of Wales ISU and the UN relating to sustainable development. Rupesh holds an economics degree from the London School of Economics and is a chartered accountant.

Roberta is a senior communications professional. She brings 10+ years of experience with public information, strategic communications, partnerships and academic research. She is passionate about sustainable development and was previously the Institutional Communication Manager at the United Nations Environment Programme in Brazil. At UNEP, she was the national focal point for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, implemented the Environmental Defenders Initiative in Brazil, and led several successful campaigns. Earlier in her career, Roberta worked with content development, media and research. Roberta holds a M.A. in International Relations from the Federal University of Santa Catarina and B.A. in International Relations and Journalism.

Samruddhi is an accomplished finance professional and avid scuba diver who has combined these passions to focus on climate-related initiatives. Starting in traditional finance sectors in Mumbai, Samruddhi pivoted to addressing environmental challenges using financial expertise. At Aspiration, Samruddhi developed innovative carbon-financing structures, contributing to a reduced risk and increased return profiles. Additionally, as a volunteer with the Blockchain & Climate Institute and the Conservation Finance Alliance, Samruddhi contributes to important research and strategic development. Whether delving into the intricacies of carbon financing or exploring marine environments, Samruddhi is committed to making a lasting impact on the planet.

Shereen is a Coordinator and is responsible for team coordination and logistics, including scheduling, travel arrangements and event planning. She brings 15+ years of experience as an Executive Assistant and Project Coordinator in various industries. Previously, she was Assistant Donor and Member Relations Manager for FC4S (Financial Centres for Sustainability) and SIF (Sustainable Insurance Forum) as well as Relationship Manager for the UNEP Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System team. Shereen holds a B.A. in International Business Management from Newcastle University and has excellent written and spoken Spanish.

Sarah is leads our Nature Risk portfolio. She is an environmental economist with 10+ years of experience in natural capital, sustainable land use and nature-based solutions. She previously worked in a range of boutique-style, infrastructure advisory and strategic consultancies. Her work has focused on helping organisations in the private, public and third sector understand their nature-related impacts, dependencies, risks and opportunities. She has also contributed to key natural capital initiatives for the UK Government. Sarah holds a B.A. in Economics from the American University of Beirut and a M.Sc in Environmental Economics and Climate Change from the London School of Economics.

Simon is the founder and former CEO of NatureFinance, and currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the organisation. He is also a Senior Advisor to the Task Force on Nature Related Financial Disclosure. He was Head of the UN Secretary General’s Task Force on Digital Financing of the Sustainable Development Goals, Senior Advisor on Finance and Co-Director of UNEP’s Finance Inquiry. He co-Chaired China’s Green Finance Task Force and led the Green Finance Study Group secretariat under the Chinese, German and Argentinian G20 Presidencies. Previously, Simon has served as Senior Advisor to the World Economic Forum and the Global Green Growth Institute. He was founder and CEO of AccountAbility and Development Director of the New Economics Foundation. He has been a lecturer and professor at various management and business schools around the world, written and published extensively, including the award-winning book, The Civil Corporation.

Suzana is passionate about environmental issues and has worked across a variety of areas including recycling, the Green Economy, environmental financing for city projects, forests, landscapes and jurisdictional approaches. She has a degree in Environmental Management from the University of São Paulo and a postgraduate qualification in Strategic Sustainability Management from the Fundação Instituto de Administração.

Vanessa Ushie is an economist with over 20 years of experience in driving policy reforms on sustainable development. She was previously Acting Director of Natural Resources at the African Development Bank Group, where she spearheaded high-level initiatives on natural capital, biodiversity finance, green minerals and natural resources governance. Vanessa has held senior positions in Oxfam, the United Nations, the North-South Institute, Canada and Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa, Nigeria. She has published articles on natural resources policy, and serves as a Board member for the New Producers for Sustainable Energy. She is co-founder of EazyCollect, an innovative financial technology start-up in Nigeria. Vanessa holds a PhD in Economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, United Kingdom.

Abyd Karmali is a Managing Director, Environmental Business Advisory at Bank of America based in London. From 2007-2014, he served as Merrill Lynch’s (subsequently BofAML) Global Head of Carbon Markets. In 2014, he became part of the team supporting the bank’s broader capital deployment commitment to mobilise $1.5 trillion in sustainable finance by 2030. He has worked for more than 30 years on climate change and sustainable finance and was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for these efforts in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List for 2019. In 2022, Financial News included Abyd its in inaugural list of “The 50 Most Influential in Sustainable Finance” and he received the same accolade in 2023. 

His current advisory roles include the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) and the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance. He also serves on the Judging Panel for the Sustainable Development category of the King’s Award for Enterprise, Board of the International Emissions Trading Association, India Advisory Board of NGO The Climate Group, and Board of NatureFinance. He holds an MS in Technology and Policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 

Isabel Hoffmann has a background in ecology and corporate sustainability. She is co-founder at rePLANET, a company pioneering novel biodiversity and carbon market mechanisms to drive private sector funding into the conservation and restoration of landscapes. Previous to this, she worked on the TEEB for Business program, developing guidance for agri-business to measure and value their impacts and dependencies on natural capital. She is an active board member of the Tour du Valat wetland research institute and is a member of the scientific and technical committee of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. 

Marianne Haahr is a board member of NatureFinance. She is the Nature-related Finance Lead with Global Canopy and the Technical Sector Guidance Lead and metrics WG with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). Previously, she was the Executive Director of Green Digital Finance Alliance and an Advisor to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Denmark on digitalisation in emerging markets finance. She was also Director of Sustainia a think tank deploying digital technology for impact. Marianne started her career building climate adaptation projects in West and Southern Africa. She holds an M.Sc. Environmental Science and a M.A. in International Human Rights Law.

Dr. Sanjaasuren Oyun, a geochemist by training, with a Ph.D in Earth Sciences from the University of Cambridge, is currently the Chair of the Global Water Partnership, an intergovernmental organization dedicated to water-secure world. She is one of the leading women figures in Mongolia and She is also the founding member and the Chair of the Special Olympics Mongolia, Women Corporate Directors and heads the Zorig Foundation, a Mongolian NGO that advances democracy and supports youth and education. Dr. Oyun also served as the first President of the United Nations Environment Assembly of UNEP.  

She was elected 5 terms as Member of Parliament of Mongolia (1998-2016), and served as Vice-Speaker of the Parliament, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Environment and Green Development. While in Parliament, Dr Oyun successfully championed several reforms especially in good governance, green development, and children’s rights.  

Before joining politics, Dr. Oyun worked as a geologist in Mongolia and UK.  

 Dr Oyun’s active public life extends beyond environmental protection to include advancing civil and social rights. Oyun is a member of advisory boards of a number of global initiatives dedicated to sustainable development including the Green Growth Knowledge Platform, Future Earth and International Environment Technology Centre of UNEP. 

Sean Hinton was formerly the director of the Economic Justice Program and chief executive officer of the Soros Economic Development Fund at the Open Society Foundations. Previously, Hinton was principal of Terbish Partners, which he founded in 2007 to provide strategic advisory services focusing on China, Mongolia, and Africa and the social and economic impact of large-scale extractive investments. He was a long-term senior advisor to Goldman Sachs (Asia) and the Rio Tinto group. His other roles have included: deputy chairman of SouthGobi Resources; special advisor to the CEO of SOHO China; and chairman of China Networks. Hinton is a Henry Crown fellow of the Aspen Institute and serves on the board of the Natural Resources Governance Institute and the international advisory board of the Baha’i Chair for World Peace at the University of Maryland.

Tom Brookes is a board member at NatureFinance and is also a Senior Adviser on International Strategic Communications to ClimateWorks. Tom started his career as a journalist, covering technology, regulation and broader European politics and moved into communications, public affairs and media relations. In 2002, Tom worked on the Microsoft competition case in Europe, representing Microsoft as press spokesman on the case and acting as political advisor to Microsoft’s CEO and General Counsel. He later joined Apple as Director of Government Affairs, Europe, Middle East and Africa. In 2009 Tom became Managing Director of the Energy Strategy Centre at the European Climate Foundation (ECF). Tom joined the Executive Management Team of the ECF as Executive Director, Strategic Communications.